Bridge-wall for furnaces



(No Model.) s sneet s -sheet 1. E. W. TUCKER. BRIDGE WALL FOR FURNACES.

No. 367.124. Patented July 26, 1887.

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. B. W. TUCKER.

BRIDGE WALL FOR FURNACES.

Patented July 26, 1887.

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yBWQTUGKBR. BRIDGEWALL FOR FURNACES. I v No. 367,124. Patented July 26, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN w. TUCKER, OFSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BRIDGE-WALL FOR-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,124, dated July 26, 1887.

Application filed April 20,1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN W. TUCKER, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Hot'Air Bridge-Walls for Furnaces; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the same.

. bridge-wall separable on the horizontal plane of the grate-bars, whereby the upper portion may be renewed.

It also consists in details of construction relating to the bridge-wall, its adjustment in the combustion-chamber, the damper and its controlling devices, and other features, all of which will be more particularly described in the course of this specification, and will be space above, to intensify or decrease the draft,

whereby, instead of having to make a different size to suit the requirements .of the furnace, a single size may be employed, which, by its adjustment, will meet the case; and,also, to have a sectional bridge-wall which may be separated on the horizontal plane of the gratebars, thus permitting a renewal of the upper and more exposed portion without disturbing the lower portion, which, from its position, lasts much longer.

Further objects of my invention will appear in connection with the deseriptionof the details of construction.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation ofmyinvention, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my hollow bridge-wall, showing it in the furnace, and showing, also, the damper-connections. 2 is a plan of the top of the bridge-wall. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the bridge-wal Lin its showing its front connection.

Fig.

Serial No. 235,568, I (No moLleI.)

position in the combustion-chamber, one-half of the upper portion of said bridge-wall being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail section showing the connection at the inner end of the damper-operating rod. Fig. 6 isadetail view Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a modification of this front connection. Fig. Sis a section showing the application of the skeleton frame for clearing the air-apertures of the 'wall.

In Figs. 1 and 8 the entire bridge-wall may be designated by the letter A. It consists of a hollow base-casting, a, having an open, top and face, a hollow bodycasting, at, having an open top and bottom, placed above the base casting and resting thereon, and a hollow top 'casting,a", having-apertures in its top,said casting fitting over the casting a and adapted to be moved up and down thereon, after the manner of telescopic sections. It is held at the height to which it is adjusted by means of bolts a which pass through any of the series of holes in the casting. This'constructiou illustrates the main feature of my invention-namely, the adjustability of the hollow bridge-wall to different heights-and as far as this feature is concerned I do not wish to be confined to this particular construction, as the result may be accomplished in other ways, though I prefer the telescopic sections I have here shown as being simple and effective. From the front top of the base-casting (1 projects a ledge, a, on which the grate-bars X rest at their inner ends. It will be seen that the base-casting extends up to the level of the grate-bars and the body-casting ajoins the base-casting above on the horizontal plane of said bars. In other words, the lower portion, a, of the bridge-wall is below the grate-bars, while its upper portion, a a is above said bars. The wall is thereforesectional and separable on the horizontal plane of the grate-bars. The position of the upper part renders it far less durable than the lower part, and this separation on the plane described enables me to renew the upper part, when necessary, without having to renew the lower part, as would be the case if the bridge-wall were so made that any portion of its lower part projected above the plane of the grate-bars.

The manner in which the bridge-wall is soeured in the combustion-ehamber is as follows: The base-casting a is provided with a curved flange, B, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 4. In the wall or sheet 0 of the furnace are tapped square shank studs or pins 0, Fig. 4, which remain permanently in place. In the flange B are made oblong slots I), which fit over the. square shank-studs c, as shown in Fi 4, said flange being fixed by means of nuts 0 on the square shank-studs. Now, by reason of the elongated or oblong slots 1) in the flange B, it will be seen that the casting a may be slipped into place, its flange-slots fitting over the studs, and said casting may be removed readily in like manner by loosening up the nuts 0, the studs being prevented from turning by their square shanks. The whole bridge-wall thus rests upon the lower sheet of the furnace through the intervention of the flange B.

In the back wall of the casting a is a hand hole covered by a cap, D, which is fitted to place in the following manner: Upon the back of the casting a, and on each side of the handhole, are made lugs (I, having a hook shape, and on the back of the cap 1) are formed inclined planes or wedges (1, Figs. 1 and 4, said wedges fitting down into grooves of the hooks and binding the cap to its place. The cap is therefore adjusted by slipping it down behind the hooks, and may be readily removed by raising it up therefrom, whereby itis relieved of its wedges. The hand-hole, in addition to its obvious purpose, serves also the purpose of permitting the introduction of the hand to drop in the bolts which secure the casting a to the casting a. These bolts are shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and are lettered E. They are dropped down through lugs c, which project inwardly from the end walls of the casting a, and in such a position that the square boltheads come in such proximity to the walls as to prevent their turning. The bolts pass downwardly through the projecting ends of the casting a, receiving nuts 0 on their lower ends, said nuts being outside of the main body of the casting a, as shownin Fig. 3, said casting being made of less width than the sheet 0, and having projecting ends, as shown in said figure, so that the nuts 0' may be easily placed on the bolts from behind.

To the open face of the casting a is fitted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the damper F, which is held to its place by means of studs or pins f, projecting from said casting and fitting in elongated slotsf in each end of the damper, whereby said damper may have its side move ment, being guided by the pins, while they hold it well up to its place. The damper is operated by means of a rod, G, the inner end of which passes loosely through one of the end slots,f,ot' the damper and is seated in a socket in a boss, g, in thefront wall of the casting a, as is shown in Fig. 5.

From the rod G extends upwardly a crankarm, g',which enters an enlarged hole or socket,

f, in the face ofthe damper above. By turning the rod G on its own axis it will be seen that its crank-arm will move the damper sidewise.

The object of having the guide-pinf slotted in both ends of the damper is to hold both ends to their seats without having to accomplish any holding by means of the rod G,so that said rod may be entirely free to perform its func tionof moving the damper, this freedom of the rod beingfurther gained by journalingits inner end in the bosssocket of the casting a and having its crank-arm playing loosely in an enlarged opening of the damper, Fig. 5, so that said rod may be pressed to its seat without cramping the damper and may he carried out forward, Fig. 1, at any angle to suit the particular construction of furnace without cramping said rod.

The rod G extends forwardly under thegratebars to the forward end of the furnace, where it en'ierges, and it has upon it, just within the front of the furnace, an adjustable collar, y", which, when set, holds the rod to its seat at its inner end. The means for keeping the rod from turning when set consist of a bracket, H, having a curved slot, h, fitting over a fixed stud, h, projecting from the front of the furnace, said bracket being held and tightened by means of the nut h", Fig. 6. The end of the rod G passes through the upper portion of the bracket and is pivoted axially therein, and is held in its seat by means of a setscrew, h, which bears upon it. By tightening said screw so as to hold the rod to the bracket and loosening the nut It", it is obvious that the bracket may be moved 011 the fixed stud h, thereby turning the rod on its own axis and operating the damper F. The object of this construction is to provide a means for holding the rod in the position desired after its proper adjustment has been found. This is done by tightening up the nut h, which holds the bracket, and the set-screw hf, which holds the rod, and thus any movement of said rod will be prevented.

If desired, I could use the bracket shown in Fig. 7, which consists of a piece, I, securely bolted to the front of the furnace and having an end socket in which the rod G is pivoted, said rod being set by a screw, i. In this form of bracket the rod simply turns on its own axis.

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the apertures or slots J in the top of the casting a of the bridge-wall. It will be seen that they are arranged in parallel rows which break joints with each other, thus providing for a solid sheet of air.

K are forwardly-projeeting flanges, Figs. 2 and 3, on the front wall of the casting a and which act as supports or guides for the wall of brick which I prefer to place on the front. \Vithin the upper casting, a", Fig. 8, is a skeleton frame, L, having pins or points 1, adapted to be projected upwardly into the slots of the casting in order to clear them when clogged. The frame is vertically moved by means of the casting having a uniform thickness, is made,

as shown in Fig. 1, thinner between its top and bottom edges. This keeps it from warping and makes it readily adjustable to its place without any planing.

The general operation of the wall is the same as in other hollow walls of this class-.- namely, the airpasses from the front under the grate-bars past the damper F, which regulates its admission into the hollow wall and out through the apertures in its top into the combustion-chamber.

Having thus described my invention,what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p v 1. A hollow hot air bridge-wall for furnaces, consisting of telescopic sections, whereby said wall may be vertically adjusted to vary its height to suit the draft requirements of the furnace, substantially as herein described.

2. A hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, consisting of a base-casting secured to the lower sheet of the furnace, a bod y-casting bolted to its top, and a top casting provided with top apertures and fitted over the bodycasting, whereby it may be vertically adjusted to regulate the height of the wall, substan-- pletely in the horizontal plane of the grate-- bars, whereby the upper section may be renewed without disturbing the-lower section, substantially as herein described.

4.. A hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, consisting of separable sections or portions, one of which is below the plane ot'the grate-bars add the other is above said plane, the portions being sep'arablein said planc,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

5. In combination with the grate-bars of a furnace, a hollow hot-air bridge-wall consisting of a base-casting located below the plane of the grate-bars and supporting said bars on its top, a bodycasting above the plane of the grate-barsand bolted to the top of the basecasting,and an apertu red top casting telescoping the body-casting, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

6. A hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, having a curved flange, B, provided with oblong holes or slots,in combination with square shank pins or studs tapped into the lower sheet of the furnace and fitting within the oblong holes of the flange, and nuts fitted upon said pins for holding the flange to place,

fitting within the hook-shaped lugs, whereby said cap is tightened to place and may be readily removed, substantially as herein described.

8. In a hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, the hollow base-casting a, in combination with the body'casting a, resting on its top and having lugs projecting inwardly from its end walls, bolts passing down through said lugs and through the top of the base-casting, and nuts on the lower ends of said bolts, whereby the body-casting is secured, substantially as herein described.

9. In a hollow hot:air bridge-wall for fur naces, a base-casting, a, provided witha handhole in its back wall and projecting side flanges, in combination with the body-casting at, having lugs projecting inwardly from its .end walls, square-headed bolts passing down through said lugs and having their heads locked. by the end walls of the casting, and through the side flanges of the base-casting, and nuts on the lower ends of the bolts adjusted from behind the bridge-wall, substantially as herein described.

10. In a hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, the hollow base-casting a of the lower portion of the wall, having its top on the same horizontal plane as the grate-bars, and the bottom or floor of its chamber sloping or inclined for automatically discharging the dirt, substantially as herein described.

11, In combination with a hollow bridgewall having the air-discharge apertures in its top, the vertically-adjustable skeleton frame provided with pins or points for clearing said discharge-apertures, substantially as herein described.

12. In combination with a hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, a damper for controlling the entrance of the air thereto, said damper having elongated slots at each end, and fixed pins or studs projecting from the face of the bridge-wall through the slots'of the damper, whereby said damper is guided in its movement and held to its place at each end, substantially as herein described.

13. In ahollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, the fixed pins or studs projecting from the face (if the lower portion of the wall, and the sliding damper controlling the entrance of the air to said wall, said damper having elongated slots in each end fitting over the pins or studs, whereby it is guided and held, in combination with the rod G, passing through one of the end slots of the damper and seated in a socket in the bridge-wall, an adjustable collar on the forward end of the rod for bold ing its inner end to its seat, and a crank on the I OO a fixed pin on the front of the furnace and receiving the forward end of the rod, a nut for holding the bracket, and a set-screw for holding said rod, substantially as herein described. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FJYWIN W. TUCKER. lVitnesses:

C. D. Corn J. H. BLOOD. 

